MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The group of 25 refugees from Iraq had been granted asylum in the Czech Republic's southern town of Jihlava within an Iraqi Christian resettlement program organized by the Generation 21 Endowment. The refugees were detained on the Czech-German border by German police while attempting to cross into Germany on a bus, before being handed over to Czech authorities.
"After the asylum proceedings were terminated, these persons received a departure order, which is still valid. Their personal freedom will not be restricted and they are still obliged to leave the territory of the Czech Republic by April 7," Czech Foreign Police spokesperson Katerina Rendlova said, as quoted by the CTK news agency.
In early March, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka stated that the country was ready to accept refugees from Turkey, which will enable Prague to partially fulfill the EU mandatory quota scheme aimed at relocating 160,000 refugees among its member states. The Czech Republic pledged to relocate 2,000 refugees.
